Who is the Pumpkin King?
by Spinder-UndeadBallerina
Summary: Who is Jack Skellington? More importantly, who WAS he? How did he end up in Halloweentown? How did he meet Sally? You know, the usual questions. My first ever NMBC fanfic so be merciful, save your rotten tomatoes to throw at someone else, and R
1. Default Chapter

_John S. Kellington, PhD., _the black letters on the door read. Inside, Dr. Kellington was working late into the night, researching various rare illnesses. He was extremely tall and thin, somewhat resembling a skeleton. He attempted to tame his wild black hair every morning, but only managed to make it look relatively neat. He often wore a black suit with white pinstripes and a large black bowtie.

On a large, old pillow, his Afghan hound, Zero, slept soundly. The dog raised his head slightly when John spoke.

"Think we should call it a night, Zero?" he asked, closing the book he had been reading. Zero let out a small yip of approval and John smiled.

"Alright, boy, let's go," he said, and got up. Zero also got up, and trotted to catch up with his owner after a good stretch.

Meanwhile, in Halloweentown, things weren't going well to say the least. The holiday which the town was named after was always dull and uneventful, and the mayor constantly wore his 'sad face'. Oogie's Boys wandered the streets freely, flinging stones and spiders at any unsuspecting passers-by.

"Oooh dear," the Mayor said, cowering halfway under the seat of his van, "They're coming for me! I know it! I can't stand this town much longer; there has to be a way to make things better. No one is enthusiastic about Halloween anymore. They aren't even _relatively _scary now."

He fell silent as a small child dressed as a skeleton walked by.

"Nobody over here, Lock!" the boy yelled over his shoulder, and walked on. The Mayor let out a small sigh of relief and continued wallowing in his self-pity. His mumblings came to an abrupt stop as an idea came to him.

"That's it!" he exclaimed (quietly though, so none of Oogie's Boys would hear him), "There should be a new mayor! No one respects me around here, and I know they never will. If I could just find a scary enough leader, my troubles would be over! But not anyone from here, oh, no. He needs to be from a completely different place! I must go and find this person at once!"

He began to stand, but hit his head on the bottom of the seat, and, while cursing under his breath, managed to stumble backwards out of his van. He repositioned his tall hat, climbed back into the van, and headed home to pack his bags.

John yawned and climbed into his bed.

"Good night, Zero," he said, and the tired dog made a halfhearted attempt to wag his tail in response. No sooner had John closed his eyes, he heard a strange noise outside his window. It was like the clicking spinning noise of a party spinner. John slipped silently out of bed and peeked out the window to see...nothing. He sighed and slumped back to bed. But this time, he kept his eyes on the window. The sound came again, and he saw a shadow pass over his window. In an instant, John was up and wrenching the window open. A small, round man with an extremely tall hat sat below his windowsill. At least, John _thought _he was a man. His face was as white as Zero's fur and his frown contained a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"Who are you?" John demanded in his most frightening voice, scaring the poor Halloween Town Mayor out of his wits. Suddenly, with the party spinner noise, the Mayor's head spun around, revealing an insanely happy grin and mismatched eyes.

"You're perfect!" he cried, and leapt up, "You must come with me! I have a terrible problem and only you can fix it!"

John assumed it was a medical problem. He was the only doctor in the village and his talents were widely known. But what kind of medical problem would a creature like that have?

"Um, well, let me get dressed first," John said, hardly believing what was happening.

Zero stood up, whining worriedly.

"Shh," John whispered, "It's alright, boy."

He put on his favorite black and white suit and went out the front door, Zero following closely at his heels. He walked around the side of the house to where the Mayor stood. His face still sported the painfully joyful smile.

"First of all," the little man said, "What is your name?"

_Maybe he _doesn't _need medical attention,_ John thought,_ most of my patients know who I am beforehand. _

"Me?" he said, "My name is John Kellington, and you?"

"Oh, you can just call me Mayor," the Mayor said, "Now that we've been introduced, you must come with me, my dear boy! Come with me to Halloweentown!"

He grabbed John by the hand and was about to lead him to his van when his face flipped around yet again. He stared despairingly at John's hand and began to moan.

"Oooh!" he cried sadly, "Oooh no! I _knew _you were too good to be true!"

"What?" John asked, confused, "What's wrong?"

"You're _alive, _aren't you?"

The question caught John completely off guard.

He pulled his hand out of the Mayor's grip and replied angrily, "Of course I'm alive! Are you playing a trick on me? It's really not very funny!"

"Ooh no!" the Mayor said again, and buried his face in his hands, "No, no, it's not a trick. Oooh dear! I'll have to deal with those horrible trick-or-treaters again now!"

John sighed exasperatedly and said, "I don't have the slightest about what you're talking about, so if you'll excuse me-"

He stormed back into his house, slamming the door behind him. The Mayor hung his head and trudged sadly back to his van. Neither of them saw each other again for five years.


	2. The Death of Dr Kellington

Zero wasn't an especially old dog; only about eight years old. But he had had heart problems since he was six. John knew the day would come when his canine friend would be no more, but it was still a shock the morning he found out.

"Good morning, Zero," he said when he woke up. Usually Zero would let out a little grunting noise and stretch. This morning he just lay there, curled up as he had been all night.

"Zero?" John said hesitantly, and tiptoed over to his dog's pillow, "Zero!"

His paws were slightly cool, and his chest no longer rose and fell with his breath. John buried his face in his arms and took a few deep breaths. He put on his suit, and, without stopping to have breakfast or even a cup of orange juice, he picked up Zero and took him down to the graveyard near their house.

"I'm bored!" Lock moaned, throwing his devil mask down next to him.

"Who cares?" Shock asked sarcastically, and proceeded to boil a rat alive. Lock peeked over her shoulder, a terrified beetle in his hand.

"Let's put this in, too," he said, trying to stick the bug in.

"No! You'll ruin it!" Shock screeched, knocking the beetle out of Lock's hand, and her witch's hat nearly fell in the cauldron.

"Stop being so stupid!" Lock said, then looked around the small room, "Speaking of stupid, where's Barrel?"

"How should I know?" Shock asked sassily, stirring the boiling rat with a cast iron spoon.

"_Well," _Lock said irritably, "I thought _you _were the last one who saw him! I'm gonna go look for him. Maybe if I stick a scorpion down his shirt I won't be so bored."

He slipped on his mask and grabbed a box of scorpions on his way out, spaded tail waving.

Once she was sure he was gone, Shock cackled and yelled towards a small closet, "Barrel, he's gone! You can come out now!"

The boy in the skeleton outfit came out, also laughing.

"He'll be looking for hours!" he said.

"Yeah, but he'll beat you black and green when he gets back," Shock said matter-of-factly. The grin faded somewhat from Barrel's face.

"Oh well," he said, "It's still funny."

"Gimme a couple of bugs," Shock said, holding out her hand, "It's time for Mr. Oogie's lunch."

But Barrel was looking out the window.

"There goes Finkelstein's ragdoll. Looks like she's running away again."

"I don't care, just gimme those bugs!"

"Saaally! _Saaaally!_ You can't keep running off like this, you wench!"

The ragdoll didn't hear her "father's" shrieks; she was already halfway to the old abandoned castle next to The Hill. She reached the front gate soon after, and slipped through the wide-set bars. Her favorite place to sit and think was The Hill, as everyone referred to it. It was indeed a hill, but not just any hill. It was shaped like a spiral and served as a ramp to reach the pumpkin patch below it when it uncurled.

Sally had picked up a small dead looking flower on her way there, and now sat on The Hill, plucking the petals off. She was about to pull a third one off when she heard a faint barking.

"Hm? Who's there?" she asked, putting a small hand up to her sewn-on ear. The barking continued, but a little louder this time. Sally put down the flower and wandered towards the graveyard, where the barking was coming from.

"What's this? A new grave?" Sally said to herself. There hadn't been a new grave there in many years. It only happened when someone died and came to Halloween Town.

The new gravestone resembled a doghouse on the front, with a carved, long-nosed hound peeking out from the door. On the top of the gravestone were carved the letters ZERO, which Sally assumed was the dog's name.

"Zero!" she called into the grave, hoping he could hear her. She heard another wave of barks from deep in the ground.

"It's alright, Zero!" she said, "Just keep moving up!"

Everyone in Halloweentown (including Sally) knew that sometimes new citizens struggled with some of the effects of being dead. With some difficulty, a ghostly dog with a long, thin nose pulled himself out of the ground. Sally smiled.

"Hello, Zero!" she said kindly, patting his misty head, "You're in Halloweentown now!"

Zero yipped happily and gave her a ghost dog kiss that sent chills down her spine, but she didn't mind.

"I wonder if the Doctor-"

Sally was talking about her father, but Zero began barking madly and doing small flips in the air.

"What is it, boy? Do you know Dr. Finkelstein?"

Again, Zero became excited at the word 'doctor'.

"Maybe," Sally mused, "You know another doctor..."

Zero barked, then whined, sniffing around for his beloved owner.

"Well, until I find out, I'll see if you can stay with me," Sally said, and motioned for Zero to follow her.

"Wait a moment," she said, staring thoughtfully at the dog, "Some people won't think you're scary enough to live in Halloweentown...Ah! I know!"

She stumbled down the slope to the pumpkin patch, where she found a tiny jack-o-lantern, only about the size of her thumb.

"Hold still, boy," she said when she climbed back up. She popped the small pumpkin on the end of Zero's snout. He sneezed a few times, then barked happily when the pumpkin lit up.

"There!" Sally said, smiling, "Now we can go."

Sally and Zero went back to Dr. Finkelstein's observatory-like home. She knew she would be punished for running away again, but she was more concerned about Zero.

John's two favorite holidays were Halloween and Christmas. He treated both with a good amount of respect...and decorations around his house. This year, he dressed as a skeleton for Halloween; a fitting costume, he thought.

As much as he enjoyed Halloween, it wasn't the same without Zero. Usually, John would let Zero make the trick-or-treaters laugh by running up to them in his sheet that served as a ghost costume. Once Zero became bored with this, John would amuse himself by jumping out and scaring the children.

This year, however, John passed out the candy like any other regular adult in the neighborhood. He got a few sympathetic comments about Zero, and thanked them for their concern.

After most of the children had gone home, John had changed back into his regular clothes, and sat on his porch looking up at the full moon.

"What I wouldn't give to have Zero back," he said wistfully to himself.

"I know a way you could see him again. I had to go through a lot of trouble to find you, so please come with me," a soft voice said behind him. He whirled around to see a woman about his age with long, straight red hair and pale skin. A closer look showed that she was sewn together, like a crudely made doll. Despite the threads, she was still very pretty.

"Who are you?" John asked.

"My name is Sally. What's yours?"

"John Kellington."

"I know a way you can see Zero again, John. You're his owner aren't you?"

"Yes, I am- or was. How can I see him again? He's dead," John said sadly.

"That doesn't matter," Sally said, her large eyes sparkling, "in Halloweentown."

"Oh, not this 'Halloweentown' again!" John exclaimed loudly, frightening Sally into taking a few small steps back.

"You've heard of it?" Sally asked, a little timidly.

"Unfortunately, yes. Someone wanted to take me there a few years back, but couldn't once he found out I was still alive! Can you imagine!"

"Oh, you must have met the Mayor," Sally said, "He said that he came to the mortal world before...hm, yes, I suppose it would be against the rules to take you there alive. But Zero has been so sad lately. I think he really wants to see you. I should be able to sneak you in."

The mentioning of Zero lifted John's spirits slightly and he eventually gave in and believed what the ragdoll was saying.

"How long will I be there?" John asked, after he had invited Sally in for a cup of tea.

"Well, I'm not quite sure," Sally said, "Maybe a night or two. Not too long."

"Alright, I'll need to..." he paused, "Do you smell smoke?"

Sally sniffed slightly, "Yes! Where is it coming from, though?"

"Stay here," John said, "I think it's coming from upstairs."

He bounded up the stairs and to the room at the end of the hall; his room. He burst through the door to find his room engulfed in flames. He could just barely see a candle on the mantelpiece that had fallen over and caused the fire. He was about to turn and get Sally and himself out of the house when he realized something.

"My books!" he cried and made his way across the room to his desk, carefully avoiding the flames. He grabbed the precious few books that weren't already burning and turned back to the door. He was almost there when a beam from the ceiling came crashing down, pinning him to the floor.

Sally heard the crash from the kitchen and rushed up the stairs. She saw the flames eating through the door at the end of the hall and ran towards it.

"John!" she yelled, attempting in vain to push the door open, "John! The door won't open!"

John couldn't hear her, though. Never again would he hear anything in that house, on that street, in that village. John S. Kellington was dead.


	3. Welcome to Halloweentown

Sally stayed in her room for the next few days, not eating or drinking. Zero was always near her, trying to comfort her with a nuzzle of his translucent head.

"Oh, Zero," she said one day, "I thought I could bring you and John back together, but everything just went all wrong."

Zero whined and lay his head down in her lap.

"Sally!" Dr. Finkelstein called through her door, "I've brought you some lunch. You must eat something!"

The large iron door opened, revealing a small, old man in a motorized wheelchair. In his hands was a tray of food.

"I'm not hungry," Sally said sadly.

"Yes you are," the Doctor replied, and shoved the tray at her, "Eat it or I will have to force you to!"  
Sally pushed the tray away and ran out the door, the Doctor's yells and Zero at her heels.

"Running away again, Sally?" the saxophonist on the side of the road asked. She didn't reply, but headed straight for the Hill.

"Ungh, What happened?" John asked himself. He tried to get up, but his head was spinning. He closed his eyes again and tried to remember what had happened. Then it came back to him: The fire, the ceiling caving in on him.

"That should have killed me," he said quietly, but didn't feel like thinking very hard. He heard a familiar voice.

"Come on, Zero. You can sit with me on the Hill."

John managed to sit up.

"Sally?" he croaked as the ragdoll walked up the hill. She stopped short.

"J-John?" she stuttered, staring, "Is that you?"

"Well, of course it is," he replied with a grin, "Who else would it be?"

"Well," Sally said, wringing her hands, "You, uhm, you don't look-"

She was interrupted by Zero's loud barking.

"Zero!" John called out, and the dog rushed towards him.

"What?" John said, "You're like a ghost!"

"He _is _a ghost," Sally said quickly, "But, John, there's really something I have to tell you-"

"Not now," John said, "First tell me where I am."

"Halloweentown."

"Halloweentown? But how did I get here? Did you take me?"

Sally shook her head.

"But you said that you had to sneak me in-"

"John, I didn't sneak you in! You're dead!" Sally said, finally able to get the words out.

"Dead? That's ridiculous," John said, throwing his hands in the air...His hands! He let out a small yelp when he saw. They were the hands of a skeleton!

"I told you, John!" Sally said worriedly.

"A mirror," John said, "I need a mirror!"

Sally bit her lip and glanced up at the old castle.

"There's probably one in there," she said, pointing. She had hardly gotten the sentence out before he was bounding across the graveyard to the door of the castle. Zero and Sally followed him inside, and found him staring disbelievingly at his reflection; a skeleton wearing a pinstriped suit. The large bowtie that he wore had been ripped, and now looked more like a bat with its wings spread. His coattail had also been ripped, and hung in shreds behind him.

"It's really not that bad, John," Sally said quietly as John turned around.

"_Not that bad? I'm a walking skeleton!"_ John exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her so harshly that a thread came loose and her arm fell off.

"Oh!" he said, picking up the limb, and handing it to her, "I'm so terribly sorry! Did that hurt?"

Sally smiled slightly, "Oh, no; it happens all the time."

She pulled a needle out from behind her ear and a spool of thread from her pocket.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous," John said as Sally sewed her arm back on, "I'm not quite used to the idea of being dead."

"That's understandable," Sally said, pulling the thread tight, "Well, since you _are _dead, you'll be here for a while. You should probably go meet the Mayor."

"But I already have, remember?"

"Yes, but he may not remember you. And anyways, you two need a proper introduction. You most likely didn't get one when you first met."

They went back through the gates and to the Mayor's house, getting curious looks from everyone on their way there. Strangers were rare in Halloweentown.

They rang the spider shaped doorbell twice, and the door opened a crack.

"W-Who's there?" a frightened voice asked.

"It's alright, Mayor, It's just Sally," the ragdoll said kindly and the door was practically flung open. The Mayor wore his insanely happy grin as he had when he first met John.

"Oh, Sally!" he exclaimed, "Come in! Come in! And who's this?"

He circled John, inspecting him.

"You seem familiar," he said, and added when Zero growled, "And so do you."

"John Kellington, and this is my dog, Zero," John said, "We met a few years back when I was alive."

The words sounded strange, but for some reason, felt right when John said them.

"Ah, yes!" the Mayor said, "So, you're dead now, are you? Splendid, splendid! You can take over my job! Although, you'll need a different name. John Kellington doesn't seem to fit you anymore."

"Wait one moment!" John said, "Take over your job? I can't be mayor of Halloweentown!"

"Why ever not?"

"Well," Sally said, "He's only just gotten here. He may need some time to get settled first."

"Hm, yes," the Mayor said, and his face flipped around to the sad side, "Yes, I suppose you would need a little time. Ah, well, I'll just have to wait a little longer."

John changed the subject.

"What do you mean my name doesn't fit me anymore?"

"Well, you're a skeleton, and a future mayor of Halloween Town. John Kellington isn't very scary. What's your full name? Maybe we can get something out of that."

"John Sebastian Kellington."

"John Sebastian Kellington...John S. Kellington...John Skellington? Well the last name certainly fits, but John sounds so...mortal..."

"What about Jack?" Sally asked, "It's a nickname for John, and it's the name of a jack-o-lantern, too."

"Yes of course!" the Mayor said happily, his face spinning around, "From now on, your name is Jack Skellington."

Jack Skellington was bewildered. His name had just been changed within forty seconds and he had had no say-so whatsoever.

"Well, I suppose I could get used to Jack Skellington," he said hesitantly.

"That's the spirit, Jack!" the Mayor said enthusiastically.

The doorbell rang again, and snickering could be heard from outside. The Mayor frowned, obviously frightened.

"Uh, so sorry you have to leave!" he said quickly, "Good to meet you again, Jack and Zero! Come back soon!"

Before they knew it, Sally and Jack were being shoved out the door by the Mayor and pelted with dead bugs by Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Jack definitely wasn't in the mood for this. He pulled his scariest face (which was probably much scarier now that he was a skeleton) and Lock and Barrel were soon hiding behind an equally shocked Shock.

However, the little witch regained her composure and said sneeringly, "Who are _you?_"

"My name's John- er Jack Skellington," Jack replied, "And who are you little annoying twerps?"

"Lock!"

"Shock!"

"Barrel!"

"We're Mr. Oogie Boogie's henchmen, and we take our job with pride!" they said together.

"Oogie Boogie?" Jack whispered to Sally.

"He's the meanest guy around," Sally replied, a shiver running down her spine, "If I were on his list, I'd get out of town. He's almost caught me several times before."

"Hm," Jack said thoughtfully, "Perhaps I should meet this 'Oogie Boogie'. I don't like the idea of him chasing down my friends."

"I'm your friend?" Sally said happily.

"Of course!"

"A-_hem!" _Lock interrupted, stepping out from behind Shock, "We're still here!"

"Unfortunately," Jack grumbled, "Why don't you and your little friends run along. Sally and I are busy."

"We are?" Sally asked.

"Uhm, yes. You were just about to show me around town, _remember?_" Jack said, giving her a small wink.

"Oh," Sally said, "_Oh,_ why, yes. Yes, I was. S-so you three need t-to go back home."

There was a twinge of fear in her voice, and Jack wondered how she could be frightened by these kids.

"And what'll ya do if we don't?" Shock asked, grinning, and Barrel giggled behind her.

Jack glared menacingly, and got the reaction he wanted. Shock's grin faltered, and she discreetly backed up a bit.

"I'll pin you each to a pumpkin and leave you there until your flesh rots and ravens come eat out your eyeballs!" Jack said as frighteningly as he could, and Sally was impressed. He had only been in Halloween Town for about an hour, and he was already scaring off the town's most hated (and feared) tormentors.

Lock and Barrel were once again seeking shelter behind Shock, and she cast a despising look towards them.

Knocking them both in the ribs, she mumbled, "C'mon, let's go."

Sally and Jack watched them scuttle off into the main part of town, occasionally throwing hateful glances back at Jack.

"That was amazing!" Sally exclaimed loudly after the trio was out of sight. She immediately blushed at her enthusiasm and said meekly, "Well, that is, no one's been brave enough to tell them off before."

"Really?" Jack said disbelievingly, "Those three, ha! They're just kids; they don't know what they're doing."

"I guess so," Sally said, "All bark and no bite, right?"

"E-_xactly_," Jack said, smiling, and Sally smiled, too. She was beginning to like this newcomer more and more.


	4. A Suggestion from Undersea Gal

disclaimer: i don't own nuttin. tim burton does. well except for cascata's name. i came up with that (applause) but not the character (aaw)

* * *

"You'll need a place to stay won't you?" Sally asked. They sat at the edge of the fountain, staring into the green, toxic looking waters. Sally bit her lip as she thought. The doctor didn't acknowledge newcomers, let alone invite them to stay in his house.

"Hm, yes, I suppose I will," Jack replied casually. He wasn't especially worried about it at the moment. He tossed a small pebble into the fountain, and immediately after, heard a watery "Ow!" from the murky depths. A slightly amphibious-looking head poked above the surface

"Watch were you're throwing things!" the fishlike ghoul said, and splashed them angrily.

"Sorry!" Jack said, holding his hands up in an apologetic gesture. The ghoul stopped her splashing and eyed Jack carefully.

"So _you're _the new one!" she said, "How _terribly _exciting! We haven't had a newcomer in _ages!_"

Zero growled.

"Except the dog, of course," the ghoul said. She held out a slimy, webbed hand, "I am Cascata. Though, many know me by the humiliating name of 'Undersea Gal'."

Jack shook her hand, trying to ignore the fact that it felt like holding a slug.

"It's nice to meet you Cascata. My name is- Jack Skellington."

He had almost gotten his new name down, but he still needed a bit of practice. Cascata chuckled.

"Most appropriate," she said, "But is that your real name?"

_Strange that she would ask,_ Jack thought, _No one else has._

"Well, it is now. My name used to be John Kellington. Why do you ask?"

Cascata shrugged nonchalantly. "No reason. So, Jack, you don't have a place to stay?"

Both Jack and Sally looked slightly startled at the fact that she knew what they had been talking about.

"I, ahem, _happened to overhear _your conversation," Cascata said uncomfortably, although they all knew she had been eavesdropping. "Anyway, I think I have a solution to your problem."

She pointed her slimy finger at the tall mansion where Jack had first seen himself as a skeleton. "No one lives there," Cascata said, "It's been empty for years and years. I seriously doubt anyone would object to you making that your new residence."

Jack smiled. "Terrific idea, Cascata! Thank you!"

"Don't mention it," Cascata said, waving his gratitude away with her hand, and sunk back into the green water.

"How wonderful, Jack!" Sally said. She was infinitely relieved that he had a place to stay. She had been willing to convince even the _doctor _to take Jack in if no one else would. It comforted her to know that she wouldn't have to argue with the doctor (especially since it was a lost cause; he always won) and that Jack now had a home.

* * *

short chapter :( sorry everybody. i'll write s'more soon. probably after halloween tho. i need to finish my costume and it's only five days away!! gasp! 


	5. Sally's Scream

i'm back! wuh hoo! :D

(NMBC (c) to Tim Burton, yadda yadda yadda)

* * *

They stood by the ominous looking iron gate in front of the graveyard and the mansion. "I should get home," Sally said reluctantly when it began to grow dark, "Good night, Jack."

"Wait!" Jack said, "I'll walk you home."

_ He's so polite!_ Sally thought, and smiled. In reality, Jack hadn't done it to be polite. He just wanted to spend more time with her.

Sally's smile faded as a thought struck her.

"It's alright," she said, "The doctor will be angry with me for running away. I wouldn't want you to catch him on his bad side." _Not that he has a good side..._

Jack hesitated. "Well," he said finally, "If you insist..."

"I do," Sally said, "Good night, Jack."

"Good night, Sally."

Zero barked.

"Good night to you, too, Zero!" Sally said, laughing.

Jack watched her until she disappeared around a tall building. Sighing, he looked up at the gate of his new home.

"It doesn't look terribly welcoming, does it?" he asked.

Zero whined in agreement. Jack opened the iron gate, and flinched slightly when its hinges screeched. He walked through it and, rather than walking up the winding trail to the mansion, chose to go to the Hill. Zero followed sleepily behind him, yawning.

Once at the top of the Hill, Jack surveyed as much of his surroundings as he could at night. Zero's head nodded slightly, his eyes practically closed.

"You go on, boy," Jack said, patting him on the head, "I'm going to stand out here just a bit longer."

Zero had no objections, and floated down the hill and towards the house, occasionally going through gravestones because he was too tired to go around them.

He looked up at the crescent moon, hanging like a huge yellow smile in the sky, and closed his eyes.

"_Nooo! Let me go!"_

Jack's eyes shot open. Sally!

* * *

short chapter, again ;; sorry.

but, hey! there's another chapter coming oh-so-very soon! yay! and what does that chapter include, you may wonder? well, here's a hint: "Hello, Oogie."


	6. Don't Mess With The Bone Man

"Sally, Sally, Sally," Oogie Boogie cooed, "When will you learn? We're meant to be, sugar! Just give in to it!"

Sally yelled something angrily into her gag.

"What was that?" Oogie asked, "You say you want to kiss me? Well, how can I refuse?"

He laughed and untied the gag.

"Now gimme a kiss, my little ragdoll," he said.

"_HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HEEEELP!" _Sally yelled.

"Why, you little-" Oogie raised his hand as if to strike her, but thought better of it. "Maybe," he said, a sleazy smile spreading across his face, "you just need a little…persuading. Now look at it this way: when I pull this lever-" he waved his hand at a lever next to him- "You slide down there." He pointed at a vat of boiling, acidic-looking liquid. Sally wasn't sure what it was, but one thing was for sure: it was bound to hurt if she fell into it. "Now, if you're a good girl," Oogie continued, "I _won't _pull this lever. _But, _if you're a _bad _girl…"

He pulled the lever ever so slightly, and the raised platform that Sally was lying on tipped, causing her to slide forward.

"So whaddya say, sweetheart?" Oogie asked, "Me? Or a painful death?"

Sally answered by spitting in his face.

"This is your own fault, Sally!" Oogie roared, and pulled the lever all the way. Sally was desperate for help, and screamed the first name that came to mind: "_JAAACK! HELP ME!" _

Jack climbed down the side of the Hill, and stumbled through the pumpkin patch. Sally's voice seemed to be coming from a tall, slightly deformed tree to his right. A second yell confirmed this: "_HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HEEEELP!" _

He ran as fast as his long legs could take him, and found that the tall tree's look of deformity was caused by a large, ramshackle treehouse. In front of him was a cage-like elevator.

"Now look at it this way," a deep voice wafted up from under the treehouse, "When I pull this lever…you slide down there…"

Jack inspected the elevator before stepping inside. He had to bend down to fit in it.

"Now, if you're a good girl…"

Jack pushed the button with a down arrow on it. The elevator shuddered and began its descent.

"I _won't _pull this lever…"

The elevator jerked to a stop at a barred window, through which Jack could see Sally, tied with rough ropes, being circled slowly by what looked like a large burlap sack. Only, the sack was talking!

"_But, _if you're a _bad _girl…" The sack pulled a lever, and Sally slid forward.

Jack gasped quietly. If he didn't do something, Sally would be killed! (He failed to remember that everyone in Halloweentown was already dead.)

"So, whaddya say, sweetheart?"

Jack slipped through the wide-set bars and climbed down the sloped wall slowly, like a spider. Despite the circumstances, Jack grinned when Sally spit in the sack's face.

"This is your own fault, Sally!"

The sack pulled the lever, and Sally was quickly sliding down to her doom.

"_JAAACK! HELP ME!"_

That was his cue. Jack leaped over the boiling acid, grabbed Sally, and landed safely in front of Oogie. He glared at the burlap sack, and untied Sally's bonds.

"Ohhh," Oogie said furiously, "So the new guy thinks he can be the hero, huh? He thinks he can just bust right in and interrupt someone else's business, huh? Well, let me tell ya somethin', _Bone man!_ No one- and I mean _no one_- messes with Oogie Boogie!"

With that, Oogie began to inhale with the force of a tornado. Everything around them was being sucked towards into his mouth. Jack picked up Sally and tried to back away. Realizing that he couldn't, he looked around for something to stop Oogie. He grabbed off of the ground a piece of shrapnel and threw it at his foe. Oogie choked and spluttered as the shrapnel became lodged in his throat. Sally still in his arms, Jack walked over to Oogie.

"Remember, Oogie Boogie," he said, grinning, "_No one _messes with the 'Bone man'!"


	7. The King of Halloween

(disclaimer: nmbctim burton's)

no! it can't be possible!...but it is! an update! gasp!

now that you've gotten over _that_ shock, i'll give you another shock! this is the last chapter! "no way!" you say. "yes!" i reply. but worry not! i have another story coming! wuh hoo! i hope you've enjoyed this fanfic, and i appreciate all the reviews (they made me happy! :3). and now, on to the seventh and final chapter!

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It had been several months since Jack had first arrived in Halloweentown, and he was already a respected member of society. After hearing about his encounter with Oogie Boogie, the townspeople dubbed him a hero. Because of his popularity, however, he rarely got a moment to himself, let alone a moment with Sally. It wasn't that no one liked her; she was just too quiet. No one really paid her any attention. (She did get her fifteen minutes of fame, though, when everyone was asking about Oogie and such.) With that said, I'll continue with the story.

_ There she is,_ Jack thought, as he spotted Sally. She was buying some type of poisonous mushroom or something. She saw him and smiled. Jack waved enthusiastically. Before he could talk to her, though, the Mayor came running up behind him.

"Jack!" he panted, "Jack, I've got it!"

"Got what?" Jack asked, watching Sally walk away.

"A monarchy!"

"What?"

"We could have a monarchy! It would certainly make it easier on me…"

"But why, Mayor? Everything is going just fine with you in charge-"

The Mayor shook his head (which had spun around to the sad side) and said, "But you see, I'm _not _in charge. _You _are, Jack."

Jack opened his mouth to speak but then closed it, realizing that the Mayor was right. Since he had come, he had been thinking up ideas to make it a better place for everyone to live. The Mayor had simply announced these ideas at Town Meetings.

"Therefore," the Mayor continued, his face spinning around again, "I believe that you should be the King of Halloween, Jack! Of course, I'd still be around to help you out-" (Truthfully, the Mayor didn't really want to give up his title as the Mayor)- "but you would be mainly in charge. Will you do it?"

Jack smiled, flattered, and knew that he really didn't have a choice.

"Of course, Mayor."

So Jack became the King of Halloween, and Halloweentown prospered under his rule. He rarely thought of his life before he was Jack Skellington, but when he did, he found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember it. He couldn't even remember what his name had been or how he had died. Of course, Sally knew, but that was for her to keep secret. Jack enjoyed being Halloweentown's King, but after many years of successful Halloweens, Jack felt that there was something missing…until he stumbled into Christmas Town…


End file.
